A simple one vote poll and feel free to explain your vote or argue over others.
Honus then, Honus now, Honus forever!
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I voted for A-Rod as the greatest all-around shortstop, but I’d vote for Ozzie Smith as best defensive ss.
Wagner and his era are irrelevant, frankly.
A-Rod plays 3rd. He played what, 7 years at SS and 7 at 3rd? That DQs him in my book. I reluctantly picked Wagner since to me that time period feels like an entirely different game.
I normally put a fairly severe timeline adjustment (i.e.: overall skill level in MLB has been steadily increasing for over 100 years, and hence it is harder for the elite players to rise way above the level of the average player), and get irked when other people don’t even make a pretense of it when making their lists (e.g. I consider Ryne Sandberg and Charlie Gehringer to be about dead even, despite the latter’s apparent edge in WAR).
But in Wagner’s case I make an exception, and the main reason is that he would have hit with significant power in any power era (1920+). The man was very muscular and worked out long before it was fashionable to do so; given the clean and non-mushy post-1920 baseballs, he would have come close to what Ruth did, and even in a modern era that would have helped to offset whatever losses he would have suffered from the timeline effect (and I also assume that he would have taken advantage of modern training methods with relish, tho I seriously doubt he would have juiced).
The man could steal, too. Retired at #3 in career stolen bases, AFAIK.
Barry Larkin.
I picked Cal even though I do think he was slightly overrated. He was really the first SS in forever who could actually hit.
I voted for Wagner, even though A-Rod’ll pass him eventually on the WAR ranking. I was really surprised to find out just how good a fielder Ripken was—I didn’t remember it as a kid watching him—and I therefore have no problem with anyone who’d put his all-around skill ahead of either Wagner or A-Rod. Defensively, though, doesn’t it have to be Ozzie?
I understand homer-ism, but seriously? This and the Brandon Phillips answer for 2B were just jokes, right?
Seems that way, but he could have been a homer AND correct by choosing Joe Morgan for 2B.
Wait, so he’s DQ’d at 3B too? Sucks to be him.
(And the Yankees should put him at SS where he belongs. Jeter would just have to suck it up.)
I have to go with my heart on this one and vote for Ozzie. 621 assists and 930 total chances in 1980? How is that even possible? His assists total for that season is a pretty good total chances number for mere mortals at his position.
If Ozzie hadn’t learned to hit a little bit later in his career, I certainly would have gone with Wagner, but by the mid-80s, he was making a pretty good contribution to the offense. I believe his 75 RBI in 1987 are the most ever by a player with no home runs (it probably didn’t hurt to be batting between Coleman and McGee in that lineup).
If A-Rod had remained a shortstop, I might have also taken a very close look at him as well. For me, Rodriguez, Banks, and Yount played too much of their careers at other positions to really qualify as short stops.
Maybe in recent history, but certainly not all time. Lave Cross once drove in 108 without hitting a home run.
In the live ball era I know Luke Appling once had 79 RBI without hitting a home run. I’m not sure if that is the live ball record.
This probably would have been a good idea years ago (if we’re changing the past, Jeter really should have been a center fielder to start with) but I don’t think A-Rod could play major league quality shortstop anymore. He hasn’t played there in eight years and he’s lumbering and heavy for a shortstop and gets hurt now. He’s not even a very good third baseman anymore, so I don’t see why he would be better at short.
I give A-Rod full credit as a shortstop. He was both. It’s not like it was some kind of gimmick or they were trying to hide him. He was good at short and improving, and then his employer put him somewhere else. A lousy decision by them, but what was he supposed to do? His ability to do it didn’t just vanish, although I’m sure it is gone by now.
And I don’t see any reason he wouldn’t have hit 629 home runs and counting either way, so yeah. Give me one of those.
I stand corrected on Cross and Appling. Ignorance fought!
Should we have one more poll for the likes of A-Rod, Rose, Banks, Musial? If so who would the 10 be?
Craig Biggio. Joe Torre. Rod Carew.
Killebrew. Bill James ran a list of “multi-positional stars.” I’ll search for it, if you like.